Ushering in a new era

Northwestern Financial Review, Jan 1, 2001 by Bengtson, Tom

It's a brand new year. Some would argue it is the start of a new century and a new millennium. Regardless, it is a new beginning for North Western Financial Review magazine.

Long-time readers will notice we have redesigned the magazine. Even our name has been modified slightly to communicate our commitment to covering banking in the North and the West. Our news now is presented according to topics, rather than according to the location from which it originates. The advent of interstate banking and electronic banking has significantly reduced the meaning of state lines in the industry. We are presenting the same meeting coverage, personality profiles, bank features and topical columns that we always have but we are presenting them in a way that more readers are likely to find useful. Based on resuits of a readership survey we conducted last summer, we learned that many bankers breeze over news originating in states other than their own. By labeling stories according to topic rather than state, our hope is bankers will benefit by reading more of the stories.

I hope you will also see that we are trying to have a little more fun with the magazine. Trade journals generally have a reputation for boring presentation. Financial services, in particular, is often considered a dry topic. I have always believed that the news coming out of the financial services industry is very interesting. And I have never accepted the notion that trade journals need to be boring. We are putting these beliefs into action with the redesign of North Western Financial Review. I also believe the Financial Review has a rapport with its readers unlike any other magazine. In addition to coming to know many of you through industry meetings, many readers have come to know me through this column and my work in the rest of the magazine. That rapport gives me a bit more freedom than most editors might have. I can try things, reveal a little more about myself, and have a little more fun with the magazine's readers than editors can at most other publications.

If you are new to the Financial Review, welcome. You will find that we cover the events, people and trends in banking in the nation's heartland like no other magazine. We present opinions designed to make you think. You will find our features, departments and news stories go far beyond the press release that every magazine gets. We add context and commentary reflective of years of experience, dedication to clarity and relevance, and a genuine love for community banking.

A new year, century or millennium is a special thing. It is particularly special when you can embrace the new era by introducing an updated version of an old friend. .